Anne Cooke Bacon

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Portrait attributed to Anne Cooke Bacon, George Gower

Lady Anne Cooke Bacon (* 1527 or 1528 probably in Gidea Hall in Romford , † 1610 in Gorhambury near St Albans ) was an English author and the mother of Anthony and Francis Bacon . She was known throughout Europe among theologians and writers of her time through her translations of church writings .

Life

Anne came as the second daughter of Sir Anthony Cookes (1504–1576), the former guardian of the English King Edward VI. , and his wife Anne Fitz-Williams, probably at Gidea Hall in what is now the London Borough of Havering . She enjoyed a liberal upbringing and, together with her older sister Mildred, who later became wife William Cecils , received a broad, humanistic education, which was noticeable, among other things, in the fact that, in addition to her native English, she also mastered Latin, Greek, Italian and French . In addition, she showed a marked interest in science throughout her life.

From a young age she was considered an extremely educated woman and was known for her chastity and piety. Already at the age of 19 she acted as a tutor to the English King Edward VI. In 1548 she first attracted attention in literary circles when 25 sermons by the Italian theologian Bernardino Ochino were published, which Anne had translated from Italian into English.

Sir Nicholas Bacon, unknown artist, 1579

In 1553 she married Sir Nicholas Bacon , Lord Keeper of the Great Seal and Lord Chancellor under Queen Elizabeth I of England , and became his second wife. The marriage had two sons:

Because Anne, a follower of Puritanism , taught her two sons herself until they were young, she had a great influence on their worldview and attitude to religion.

Her best-known work is the English translation of Apologia ecclesiae anglicanae ( An Apology of the Church of England ), first published in 1564 , a work by John Jewels , Bishop of Salisbury , in which he justified the Anglican Church against attacks by Catholics. It was even praised for this translation by the Archbishop of Canterbury , Matthew Parker . The fame she gained in theological and literary circles in this way was expressed, among other things, in the fact that Théodore de Bèze dedicated his meditations to her.

Anne Bacon died in 1610 on the family estate of Gorhambury House near St Albans in Hertfordshire and was buried in the local St. Michael's Church. Her son Francis was later buried at her side.

Works

  • Sermons of Barnardine Ochyne, (to the number of 25.) concerning the predestination and election of god: very expedient to the setting forth of his glory among his creatures.
  • An apologie or answere in defense of the Churche of Englande, with a briefe and plaine declaration of the true religion professed and used in the same.

In addition, numerous letters written by her have survived that document Anne's attitudes towards religion and science.

literature

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b L. Shenk: Bacon, Anne Cooke , p. 37.
  2. ^ A b c G. Ballard: Memoirs of British Ladies .
  3. ↑ www.litencyc.com as of June 15, 2007.
  4. ^ Mary Matilda Betham: A Biographical Dictionary of the Celebrated Women of Every Age and Country . Crosby, London 1804.
personal data
SURNAME Bacon, Anne Cooke
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Bacon, Anne; Bacon, Ann; Bacon, Anna
BRIEF DESCRIPTION English author and mother of Francis Bacon
DATE OF BIRTH 1527 or 1528
PLACE OF BIRTH uncertain: Gidea Hall, Romford
DATE OF DEATH 1610
Place of death Gorhambury House at St Albans